Teaching German

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German players in the National Hockey League

The National Hockey League was founded 100 years ago, on November 26, 1917. As the NHL celebrates its centennial, we look at some of the best German players to skate in the rinks of the world's top ice hockey league.

Leon Draisaitl

Picked third overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL's 2014 entry draft, Leon Draisaitl (22) is already a bonafide star. The eight-year, $68-million contract that he signed with the Oilers in the summer is by far the most lucrative penned by a German player. He is the son of Peter, a former German national team player who recently took over as head coach of the team in Leon's hometown, Cologne.

Marco Sturm

Current national team head coach Marco Sturm is the only German to have played more than 1,000 NHL games. He had 251 goals in regular season and playoff matches, playing with a total of 6 NHL teams, including the San Jose Sharks, who drafted him 21st overall in 1996. Here he is seen in the uniform of the Boston Bruins, where he also spent five of his 15 NHL seasons.

Tom Kühnhackl

Last season Tom Kühnhackl's Pittsburgh Penguins became the first NHL team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in two decades. The Pens' 2010 110th draft pick finally cracked the NHL's club's lineup in the 2015-16 season. Here he is seen on a trip with the Cup to his hometown, Landshut. To his left is his father, Erich, who is one of the all-time greats of German hockey, but never played in the NHL.

Tobias Rieder

Like Tom Kühnhackl, Tobias Rieder hails from the Bavarian town of Landshut, where he also started playing hockey with the local club, EV Landshut. In 2011 the Edmonton Oilers made him their 114th draft pick, but he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes before playing a single NHL game. He is now in his fourth season with the Arizona Coyotes, as they are now known.

Uwe Krupp

Cologne native Uwe Krupp (right) is the first German to win the Stanley Cup. He scored the Cup-winning goal as the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of the 1996 finals against Florida. He was also part of the Detroit Red Wings team that won the title in 2002, however his name was not engraved on the Cup as due to injury, he only appeared in eight regular season and two playoff games.

Jochen Hecht

Jochen Hecht played a total of 892 regular season and playoff games and scored 200 goals for the St. Louis Blues, the Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres. After the 2012-13 season he returned to his hometown to play for DEL club Adler Mannheim, where he spent his final three years as a player. The 40-year-old Hecht is currently an assistant coach with Mannheim.

Marcel Goc

Marcel Goc (No. 57) is one of the few Germans to be drafted in the first round (San Jose Sharks, 20th overall in 2001). He played 699 games and scored 80 goals for San Jose, Nashville, Folriday, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. His two brothers Nikolai and Sascha are also professional players. Sascha had a cup of coffee with the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lighting in the early 2000s.

Thomas Greiss

New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss is now on his fourth NHL club, having had previous spells with San Jose, Phoenix and Pittsburgh. It took the 94th overall draft pick several years to establish himself in the NHL, but now the 31-year-old has settled in at the Islanders. He's a longstanding member of the German national team and was part of Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Dennis Seidenberg

Thomas Greiss' teammate in Brooklyn, Dennis Seidenberg didn't have to spend quite as much time in the minors, first catching on with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2002. The sixth-round draft choice had some of his best years in Boston, though, recording 11 points in the 2010-11 playoffs to help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup. The German national team player was also part of Team Europe in 2016.

Christian Ehrhoff

Offensive defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was the San Jose Sharks' 106th pick in 2001. He went onto play 862 games for six NHL teams. He has made 76 appearances for Germany in numerous tournaments, including the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic Games. Without an NHL contract, he returned to Germany in 2016 to play for the Cologne Sharks of the DEL.

Olaf Kölzig

"Olie the Goalie" as he was known in North America wasn't all that German. He was born to German parents after they had emigrated to South Africa, but he grew up in Canada. He spent the bulk of his career with the Washington Capitals and he made 18 appearances for Germany, taking part in the 1998 and 2006 Winter Olympics, as well as the 1996 and 2004 World Cups of Hockey.

Stefan Ustorf

It's been reported that Stefan Ustorf was the person who discovered that Olaf Kölzig was actually eligible to play for Germany. The subject came up while the two were teammates with the Washington Capitals. Ustorf played 54 games for the Caps between 1995 and 1997. The centerman was captain of the German national team and is now the head of player development at DEL club Eisbären Berlin.

Philipp Grubauer

Philipp Grubauer has followed in Olaf Kölzig's footsteps at Washington, but so far, the 26-year-old hasn't been able to get past longtime Caps starting goalie Braden Holtby. He was named to Team Europe for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey but did not see any action. He's also a member of the German national team, most recently having played in two matches at the 2017 World Championship in Cologne.

Leon Draisaitl

Picked third overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL's 2014 entry draft, Leon Draisaitl (22) is already a bonafide star. The eight-year, $68-million contract that he signed with the Oilers in the summer is by far the most lucrative penned by a German player. He is the son of Peter, a former German national team player who recently took over as head coach of the team in Leon's hometown, Cologne.

Marco Sturm

Current national team head coach Marco Sturm is the only German to have played more than 1,000 NHL games. He had 251 goals in regular season and playoff matches, playing with a total of 6 NHL teams, including the San Jose Sharks, who drafted him 21st overall in 1996. Here he is seen in the uniform of the Boston Bruins, where he also spent five of his 15 NHL seasons.

Tom Kühnhackl

Last season Tom Kühnhackl's Pittsburgh Penguins became the first NHL team to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in two decades. The Pens' 2010 110th draft pick finally cracked the NHL's club's lineup in the 2015-16 season. Here he is seen on a trip with the Cup to his hometown, Landshut. To his left is his father, Erich, who is one of the all-time greats of German hockey, but never played in the NHL.

Tobias Rieder

Like Tom Kühnhackl, Tobias Rieder hails from the Bavarian town of Landshut, where he also started playing hockey with the local club, EV Landshut. In 2011 the Edmonton Oilers made him their 114th draft pick, but he was traded to the Phoenix Coyotes before playing a single NHL game. He is now in his fourth season with the Arizona Coyotes, as they are now known.

Uwe Krupp

Cologne native Uwe Krupp (right) is the first German to win the Stanley Cup. He scored the Cup-winning goal as the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of the 1996 finals against Florida. He was also part of the Detroit Red Wings team that won the title in 2002, however his name was not engraved on the Cup as due to injury, he only appeared in eight regular season and two playoff games.

Jochen Hecht

Jochen Hecht played a total of 892 regular season and playoff games and scored 200 goals for the St. Louis Blues, the Edmonton Oilers and the Buffalo Sabres. After the 2012-13 season he returned to his hometown to play for DEL club Adler Mannheim, where he spent his final three years as a player. The 40-year-old Hecht is currently an assistant coach with Mannheim.

Marcel Goc

Marcel Goc (No. 57) is one of the few Germans to be drafted in the first round (San Jose Sharks, 20th overall in 2001). He played 699 games and scored 80 goals for San Jose, Nashville, Folriday, Pittsburgh and St. Louis. His two brothers Nikolai and Sascha are also professional players. Sascha had a cup of coffee with the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lighting in the early 2000s.

Thomas Greiss

New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss is now on his fourth NHL club, having had previous spells with San Jose, Phoenix and Pittsburgh. It took the 94th overall draft pick several years to establish himself in the NHL, but now the 31-year-old has settled in at the Islanders. He's a longstanding member of the German national team and was part of Team Europe at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Dennis Seidenberg

Thomas Greiss' teammate in Brooklyn, Dennis Seidenberg didn't have to spend quite as much time in the minors, first catching on with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2002. The sixth-round draft choice had some of his best years in Boston, though, recording 11 points in the 2010-11 playoffs to help the Bruins win the Stanley Cup. The German national team player was also part of Team Europe in 2016.

Christian Ehrhoff

Offensive defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was the San Jose Sharks' 106th pick in 2001. He went onto play 862 games for six NHL teams. He has made 76 appearances for Germany in numerous tournaments, including the 2002, 2006 and 2010 Olympic Games. Without an NHL contract, he returned to Germany in 2016 to play for the Cologne Sharks of the DEL.

Olaf Kölzig

"Olie the Goalie" as he was known in North America wasn't all that German. He was born to German parents after they had emigrated to South Africa, but he grew up in Canada. He spent the bulk of his career with the Washington Capitals and he made 18 appearances for Germany, taking part in the 1998 and 2006 Winter Olympics, as well as the 1996 and 2004 World Cups of Hockey.

Stefan Ustorf

It's been reported that Stefan Ustorf was the person who discovered that Olaf Kölzig was actually eligible to play for Germany. The subject came up while the two were teammates with the Washington Capitals. Ustorf played 54 games for the Caps between 1995 and 1997. The centerman was captain of the German national team and is now the head of player development at DEL club Eisbären Berlin.

Philipp Grubauer

Philipp Grubauer has followed in Olaf Kölzig's footsteps at Washington, but so far, the 26-year-old hasn't been able to get past longtime Caps starting goalie Braden Holtby. He was named to Team Europe for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey but did not see any action. He's also a member of the German national team, most recently having played in two matches at the 2017 World Championship in Cologne.